Five patriotic movies to stream on Independence Day

Millions of July 4th celebrations all over the United States include steady diets of barbecues, pool parties, fireworks, and laughter, but this holiday is also a great day for a movie!  Well, that’s because every day is a great day for a movie, of course. If you find a few spare hours on Independence Day, why not catch a movie at home?  Here are five films which pay homage to the U.S.A. in various ways, and you can stream them one or all at home. Happy Fourth! “In America” (2002)…

‘Summer of Soul’: Celebrate a 20th-century landmark event with this 21st-century cinematic treasure

“Summer of Soul” – The Summer of 1969.  What’s the first image that comes to mind?  The Apollo 11 Moon landing or Woodstock (or the Woodstock Rock Festival) might be # 1 for most Americans.    For the Gen X crowd, Bryan Adams’ 1985 single “Summer of ‘69” could round out the Top 3. After watching director Questlove’s enormously entertaining and informative documentary “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” – the best film I’ve seen this year and the best doc since “Searching for Sugar…

Movie of the Week: ‘Blue is the Warmest Color’

“Blue is the Warmest Color” (2013) – Adèle Exarchopoulos gives one of the very best performances of 2013 as a French high school student discovering her sexuality and graduating into womanhood through a passionate love affair with an early 20-something collegiate co-ed with blue hair (Lea Seydoux). Director/co-writer Abdellatif Kechiche winds through Adèle (Exarchopoulos) and Emma’s (Seydoux) relationship for three hours of runtime, and intricately captures subtle – and not so fine – nuances which show love as extraordinary and also traumatic.  Whether Adèle eats pasta at the table or…